Here's part of the preface to the first issue, from Johnny Shaw, who runs the magazine:

"Here's how it all began. I wrote a story inspired by 1970s men's action serial paperbacks titled— you guessed it—`Blood and Tacos.' I was going to write a blog about it and pass it off as a chapter of a book I found in my garage and then every once in a while "discover" new paperbacks. Not really a hoax, but an opportunity to write in a unique voice and have some fun."

Of course, that does not explain why he called his story "Blood and Tacos." But I promise to keep you posted if I find anything out as I read more.

The 70s was a forgettable decade. Rather, I wish I could remember most of what happened in the 70s. But the reasons for both of those sentences are better left without further comment.

WRT Blood and Tacos, are these stories written in the 70s or written now and set in the 70s? In either case, I am not sure I could bring myself to revisit that decade. So much would be familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. For the reasons behind that paradox, see the above comment.

The stories are new but written in the style of men's adventure paperbacks of the 1970s. The conceit for all of them seems to be that each author invents an alter ego author of such books who purportedly wrote during the 1970s. It's gimmicky, but it seems to work so far.

Well, as the conceit for your blog is "beyond borders," I would respond by saying that I have put "borders" around the 70s, and I will not (and cannot) cross those borders again. Yeah, the 70s were so good, bad, and ugly for me that those "borders" are there for very good reasons. I cannot imagine reading stories that serve as reminders of bell-bottoms, disco, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and Love Story.

I love B&T. All three issues published so far have featured some wildly entertaining stories. And they're available free at the B&T website for anyone who wants to sample before splurging on the 99-cent ebooks.

There's still a chance I'll get #4 done by February 1st. The lateness is entirely on me (new novel & current screenplay assignment take precedent). I have some editing to do, but most of it is finished. My wife (who paints all the covers) has painted a doozy for the new issue. So, the short answer is soon.

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About Me

This blog is a proud winner of the 2009 Spinetingler Award for special services to the industry and its blogkeeper a proud former guest on Wisconsin Public Radio's Here on Earth. In civilian life I'm a copy editor in Philadelphia. When not reading crime fiction, I like to read history. When doing neither, I like to travel. When doing none of the above, I like listening to music or playing it, the latter rarely and badly.
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